In the Post entitled Urgent Prayer Needed: Rick and Patti Ridings, I asked my readers to pray. The following is an update/praise report. Thank you all very much!!!
Rick and Patti Ridings
Aug 17, 2008
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
Our deepest thanks to all of you who have contacted us to let us know you are standing with us in the visa and financial challenges described in our Aug. 3rd prayer letter. We really appreciate your encouragement, giving, and prayers.
I told Patti last Friday evening that it felt almost like we were in a canoe that made it through some severe rapids, then went over a waterfall where it looked like it could crash on the rocks below, only to re-surface downstream intact.
Concerning the finances: The money came in time to pay the rent ($9,817.50) on our 24/7 prayer facility. In addition, enough came in to already pay $10,000 toward the $30,000 debt incurred this year (as the dollar has dropped so sharply, making it worth about ⅓ less against the Israeli shekel than a year ago). We have also been able to put about $5,000 toward the rent due Sept. 1st. Praise the Lord that in two weeks more than half of what was needed has already come in.
Concerning the visas: We have talked with our lawyer here, and he is moving ahead to seek a status that would allow us to apply for a better kind of visa for our core staff. This will take some months, and has to be approved by the government, so please keep this in prayer, as well as our personal visas which are still under consideration by the Ministry of Interior.
Concerning our staff: We had a very precious farewell dinner with those of our staff who have to leave because of the sudden change of policy in the Ministry of Interior that volunteer visas will only be granted for two years rather than five. Even though it’s hard to say good-bye, the Lord has comforted us by providing new staff. Already, a gifted Israeli couple joined us this week, and another strong worship leader (who speaks Hebrew) is coming on staff soon.
Concerning vision for the future: During this intense time, the Lord has graciously been giving/clarifying vision for the future, which encouraged us that He must be planning to keep us here :) He has spoken to us about an acceleration of Israelis being added into the 24/7 worship and prayer. Please pray for them to hear the call of the Lord in this respect, and for financial support to come in from the nations for Israelis called to the house of prayer. The Lord has also spoken to us about increased ministry to the poor, and the planting out of houses of prayer in the Moslem nations. We will have a first (invitation-only) training seminar for this in October.
If you would like to help us continue this ministry of 24/7 prayer and worship over Jerusalem, and into surrounding nations, you can send a check to: Light to the Nations, PO Box 406, New Cumberland, PA 17070. Or you can give online at our website: www.jerusalempraise.com. For those in Europe, you may email us for details to transfer to our Belgian account.
Thank you again for standing with us to see the fulfillment of all He has called us to be and to do here in Jerusalem
Grace and shalom,
Rick and Patti Ridings and family
Showing posts with label Succat Hallel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Succat Hallel. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Urgent Prayer Needed: Rick and Patti Ridings
If you read my post of July 2007, "I've Been Tagged," you know that My dream is to one day sing, dance and pray at Succat Hallel (Hebrew for “Tabernacle of Praise”) in Jerusalem. Succat Hallel is currently in need of our prayers. Here is an update!!!
Thank you for any prayers you offer on their behalf!!!
With Love,
Beautiful Grace :)
Aug 3, 2008
In our 26 years of “living by faith”, and 9 years of living in Israel, I have never had to issue as urgent a call as in this prayer letter. But it seems clear that Satan is “pulling out all the stops” to try to stop our ministry of 24/7 worship and prayer here in Jerusalem.
1. In the past two weeks, we were informed that the Ministry of Interior of Israel has made two new rulings that very much affect visas for all Christian ministries in Israel. They have ruled that those on “volunteer visas” can no longer have them for five years but only two. Already, that means that one of our main worship leaders (who had been here 4 years) must leave the country next week, and that our main administrator (who has been here 3 years) must leave soon. This ruling could affect many of our core staff and leadership over the next months, unless we are able to find another solution for visas (which our lawyer is working on). In addition, the Ministry of Interior has said they will not allow people more than two three-month tourist visas in one year, which means that already many who have helped here may not be allowed back in.
Please feel free to join us as we fast and pray this Friday - Sunday for a reversal of any ways in which the enemy is coming against Christian ministries in Israel.
2. In these same two weeks, we were informed by the dear brother who had been funding three apartments to provide housing for short-term workers and interns that he will no longer be able to continue that funding past this Autumn.
3. In these same two weeks, for the first time in a long time there are no funds on hand to pay the August rent on our 24/7 prayer facility ($9,817.50). The check should normally take about one more week before it arrives to be cashed at our bank in America.
4. Over this past year, the dollar has fallen sharply this year against the Israeli shekel. According to an accountant, ministries whose support is primarily in dollars now have one third less purchasing power in Israel with those dollars than a year ago. Though our support has stayed steady, the long-term result of the dollar’s decline has been a debt for us. Where for many years we have not had to carry a balance on our credit cards, we have had these past months to carry many increasing expenses for the ministry and our families on our cards, so we could pay the rent and utilities on the 24/7 facility. We now owe over $30,000 to pay off these debts. Unless there is a breakthrough, I will need to sell our car and the ministry van (each worth about $5,000) in order to pay next month’s rent on the facility.
Those of you who have received our prayer letters through the years know that we have seldom mentioned finances for ourselves. However, as I was praying about what to do in the present situation, I felt I was to humble myself and share this need openly.
As we have sought the Lord in all of this, we have felt more strongly than ever that He wants us to continue to stand here at Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. We have felt we are to move forward in a major way to bring more Israeli Jewish and Arab believers on staff. We have been moving forward on a recording of new Hebrew youth songs, written by local believers. We have felt we are to move forward on helping to plant out houses of prayer in the Middle East (in these same two weeks, we have been asked to help develop houses of prayer in Egypt and in United Arab Emirates, and another couple on our staff has received a call to plant one in Afghanistan, and another staff felt the same call toward Iraq).
If you would like to help us continue this ministry of 24/7 prayer and worship over Jerusalem, and all that flows out of that to help the youth of Israel, etc., you can send a check to: Light to the Nations, PO Box 406, New Cumberland, PA 17070. Or you can give online at our website: www.jerusalempraise.com. For those in Europe, you may email us for details to transfer to our Belgian account. If you can email us about what you are sending, it will help us to know where we are on the finances: rickridings@jerusalempraise.com
Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support.
Grace and shalom,
Rick and Patti Ridings and family
www.jerusalempraise.com
Thank you for any prayers you offer on their behalf!!!
With Love,
Beautiful Grace :)
Aug 3, 2008
In our 26 years of “living by faith”, and 9 years of living in Israel, I have never had to issue as urgent a call as in this prayer letter. But it seems clear that Satan is “pulling out all the stops” to try to stop our ministry of 24/7 worship and prayer here in Jerusalem.
1. In the past two weeks, we were informed that the Ministry of Interior of Israel has made two new rulings that very much affect visas for all Christian ministries in Israel. They have ruled that those on “volunteer visas” can no longer have them for five years but only two. Already, that means that one of our main worship leaders (who had been here 4 years) must leave the country next week, and that our main administrator (who has been here 3 years) must leave soon. This ruling could affect many of our core staff and leadership over the next months, unless we are able to find another solution for visas (which our lawyer is working on). In addition, the Ministry of Interior has said they will not allow people more than two three-month tourist visas in one year, which means that already many who have helped here may not be allowed back in.
Please feel free to join us as we fast and pray this Friday - Sunday for a reversal of any ways in which the enemy is coming against Christian ministries in Israel.
2. In these same two weeks, we were informed by the dear brother who had been funding three apartments to provide housing for short-term workers and interns that he will no longer be able to continue that funding past this Autumn.
3. In these same two weeks, for the first time in a long time there are no funds on hand to pay the August rent on our 24/7 prayer facility ($9,817.50). The check should normally take about one more week before it arrives to be cashed at our bank in America.
4. Over this past year, the dollar has fallen sharply this year against the Israeli shekel. According to an accountant, ministries whose support is primarily in dollars now have one third less purchasing power in Israel with those dollars than a year ago. Though our support has stayed steady, the long-term result of the dollar’s decline has been a debt for us. Where for many years we have not had to carry a balance on our credit cards, we have had these past months to carry many increasing expenses for the ministry and our families on our cards, so we could pay the rent and utilities on the 24/7 facility. We now owe over $30,000 to pay off these debts. Unless there is a breakthrough, I will need to sell our car and the ministry van (each worth about $5,000) in order to pay next month’s rent on the facility.
Those of you who have received our prayer letters through the years know that we have seldom mentioned finances for ourselves. However, as I was praying about what to do in the present situation, I felt I was to humble myself and share this need openly.
As we have sought the Lord in all of this, we have felt more strongly than ever that He wants us to continue to stand here at Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. We have felt we are to move forward in a major way to bring more Israeli Jewish and Arab believers on staff. We have been moving forward on a recording of new Hebrew youth songs, written by local believers. We have felt we are to move forward on helping to plant out houses of prayer in the Middle East (in these same two weeks, we have been asked to help develop houses of prayer in Egypt and in United Arab Emirates, and another couple on our staff has received a call to plant one in Afghanistan, and another staff felt the same call toward Iraq).
If you would like to help us continue this ministry of 24/7 prayer and worship over Jerusalem, and all that flows out of that to help the youth of Israel, etc., you can send a check to: Light to the Nations, PO Box 406, New Cumberland, PA 17070. Or you can give online at our website: www.jerusalempraise.com. For those in Europe, you may email us for details to transfer to our Belgian account. If you can email us about what you are sending, it will help us to know where we are on the finances: rickridings@jerusalempraise.com
Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support.
Grace and shalom,
Rick and Patti Ridings and family
www.jerusalempraise.com
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
I've Been Tagged
My sister-in-law Plain and Simple, aka "Simply Beautiful," tagged me. I believe I am to write eight random things about myself. Here it goes.
4. My dream is to one day sing, dance and pray at Succat Hallel (Hebrew for “Tabernacle of Praise”) in Jerusalem. If not in this life, I will in New Jerusalem.
1. I used to dream of being a "rock star" (and the first nurse in space and a hair stylist and a research scientist). It was the singing that actually attracted me, not the "rock star" persona itself.
2. I was born on my Mom's birthday, July 1st. She told me that I was the best birthday present she ever received (spoken like a true Mom).
3. Although I worked in nursing for 20 years, I don't consider myself a physical nurse. Spiritual nursing is my true call (still asking God what that one looks like).
4. My dream is to one day sing, dance and pray at Succat Hallel (Hebrew for “Tabernacle of Praise”) in Jerusalem. If not in this life, I will in New Jerusalem.
5. I married my high school sweetheart, Strongman. Strongman actually IS a strong man. He placed third in his weight class for a strongman competition seven years ago at York Barbell Club. He threw a sixteen inch truck tire fifty-one feet, ran one hundred fifteen feet for time with six hundred pounds of weight in a wheelbarrow and pulled a 10,000 pound truck for 85 feet.
6. I used to take ballet lessons as a little girl. My little brother, Plain and Simple's DSH (isn't he cute?) helped me practice my positions.
7. I played the French horn in high school.
8. Did you know that in 1982, I was the First Lady of the United States of America...or at least my character, Mary Turner, was in the musical, "Of Thee I Sing". President John P. Wintergreen married me (Mary Turner) because I (she) could make corn muffins. That's me on the upper left side, complete with lots of stage make up.
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